Israel’s threatening to take action against a pair of Iranian warships en route to the Suez Canal tonight.
For some time, the Iranians have been interested for some time in having a naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea. Israel National News reports that the Iranian ships plan to dock in Syria for a year.
What’s at stake? Off the top of my head, Iranians off the Israeli coast will potentially:
- Support weapons smuggling to Gaza and Lebanon.
- Harass Israeli shipping lanes.
- Threaten Israel’s offshore gas reserves.
- Keep the navy pinned down enough to muscle in on the Red Sea.
- Be a source of Syrian and Hezbollah leverage over Lebanon.
- Directly assert itself against Egypt.
An all-out incident would potentially distract the Iranian public from anti-government demonstrations, as well as divert Lebanon’s attention from the Hariri tribunal’s latest developments.
Developing . . .
